Computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test

• US 20050033193A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ototronix, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Wasden, Christopher L., Stott, Kenneth R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Method and System are disclosed for a computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test includes an ambient noise monitoring module configured to monitor an ambient noise in a surrounding environment, a patient information module configured to receive patient information and hearing related tests selections, and a pure tone threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a pure tone threshold test. The computer-assisted diagnostic hearing test further includes a speech reception threshold module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech reception threshold test, and a speech discrimination module configured to facilitate manual testing of a speech discrimination test.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method of presenting a diagnostic hearing test, comprising:

displaying a graphical set of controls for the diagnostic hearing test, the controls controlling various aspects of the diagnostic hearing test;

allowing a user to specify one or more aspects of the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical set of controls;

presenting a hearing test signal to a transducer in accordance with the graphical controls as specified by the user;

storing a patient response to the hearing test signal as indicated by the user via the graphical controls; and

generating a report of the result of the diagnostic hearing test for the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring an ambient noise for the diagnostic hearing and graphically displaying an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test and graphically displaying an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to specify a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical controls and graphically displaying an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to enter information about the patient and to select which hearing tests and which ear to test for the patient.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a pure tone threshold test and the hearing test signal is a pure tone signal, further comprising allowing the user to specify an intensity level and frequency for the pure tone signal using the graphical controls and graphically displaying the intensity level and frequency of the pure tone signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising generating a plot for patient responses to pure tone signals as indicated by the user and graphically displaying the plot.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech reception threshold test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and decreasing an intensity level of the word by preset increments each time the word is presented until the user indicates that a patient response is received.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and determining an optimal intensity level to be used for each word using the computer-based test equipment.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, further comprising randomly selecting the word from a set of words and allowing the user to set an optimal intensity level to be used for each word using the graphical controls.

11. A computer-based system for conducting a diagnostic hearing test, comprising:

a display screen;

a central processing unit configured to control the display screen;

a transducer for receiving hearing test signals from the central processing unit; and

a storage unit connected to the central processor, the storage unit storing computer-readable instructions for causing the central processing unit to;

display a graphical set of controls for the diagnostic hearing test on the display screen, the controls controlling various aspects of the diagnostic hearing test;

allow a user to specify one or more aspects of the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical set of controls;

present a hearing test signal to the transducer in accordance with the graphical controls as specified by the user;

store a patient response to the hearing test signal, as indicated by the user, on the storage unit; and

generate a report of the result of the diagnostic hearing test for the user.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to monitor an ambient noise for the diagnostic hearing using the transducer and to graphically display an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise on the display screen.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to set a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test and to graphically display an intensity level and frequency of the masking level on the display screen.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the user to specify a masking level for the diagnostic hearing test using the graphical controls and to graphically display an intensity level and frequency of the masking level.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the user to enter information about the patient and to select which hearing tests and which ear to test for the patient.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a pure tone threshold test and the hearing test signal is a pure tone signal, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to allow the user to specify an intensity level and frequency for the pure tone signal using the graphical controls and to graphically display the intensity level and frequency of the pure tone signal o the display screen.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the central processing unit to allow the user to plot a patient response to the pure tone signal on the display screen and to graphically display the plotted response on the display screen.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech reception threshold test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit randomly select the word from a set of words and to decrease an intensity level of the word by preset increments each time the word is presented until the user indicates that a patient response is received.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to randomly select the word from a set of words and to determine an optimal intensity level to be used for each word.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the diagnostic hearing test includes a speech discrimination test and the hearing test signal is a word, the computer readable instructions further causing the central processing unit to randomly select the word from a set of words and to allow the user to set an optimal intensity level to be used for each word using the graphical controls.

21. A multimedia graphical user interface for a diagnostic hearing test, comprising:

an ambient noise module for graphically displaying an ambient noise level for the diagnostic hearing test, including an intensity level for one or more frequency components of the ambient noise;

a patient information module for allowing a user to enter patient information and to select which hearing test and which ear to test for the patient;

a pure tone module for allowing the user to manually conduct a pure tone threshold test, including selecting an intensity level and frequency for a pure tone signal to be presented to the patient;

a speech reception module for allowing the user to manually conduct a speech reception threshold test, including recording patient responses to the speech reception threshold test; and

a speech discrimination module for allowing the user to manually conduct a speech discrimination test, including recording patient responses to the speech discrimination test.

22. The user interface according to claim 21, wherein the pure tone module, the speech reception module, and the speech discrimination module are configured to generate a report illustrating a result of their respective tests.

23. The user interface according to claim 21, wherein the pure tone module further allows the user to manually or automatically set a masking level for the pure tone threshold test.

24. The user interface according to claim 21, wherein speech discrimination module further allows the user to manually or automatically set a masking level for the speech discrimination test.